Renting in London - advice needed on areas

arambol

I'm afraid 500 a week won't find you a 4 bed house in those areas and if it does I doubt you'd want to live in it. Maybe East London.

I live in Shoreditch, my girlfriend lives in Angel and we are moving to Camden so I know the market you're looking at pretty well. Our flats are tidy/clean and modern fittings but nothing special and not big and we pay £450 and £495 a week respectively for 2 bed flats/ no garden .....and the new place in Camden (Chalk Farm) is £550 for a 1 bed flat with tiny garden/patio.

The lettings market is very boyant and rents are expensive because no one is buying so the demand for rentals is huge.

Where is your home town and what are you used to? That'll give us more of an idea of what you like and expect.

Mudchutes etc isn't a particularly desirable area but you will certainly get more for you money than the other areas you listed.

arambol

Shoreditch is very hip and everyone looks like Russell Brand Full of funky bars, cafes, shops and galleries and very young. It also is very urban and still looks run down and neglected in parts with little greenery or open space.

Angel is a pretty high street with a village feel in central London. Very cafe society with a hundreds of bars and restaurants. Visible affluence and good housing stock. 4 bed (terraced) houses in Angel Islington are million/multi million pound properties. Detached and you're talking silly money.... so the rent will reflect this.

Camden is many things. The high street is a bit of a mess and full of homeless/ drug dealers kicked out from Kings Cross since the Eurostar. The famous Camden market and Camden Locks are like nowhere else on earth. Very impressive but hectic and I wouldn't want it on my doorstep. Fun but you'd want to get away from it at the end of the day. Chalk Farm, Belsize Park and Primrose Hill next door are all Camden borough and attractive, residential and in close proximity to the surrounding parks. These areas attract a lot of celebrities and the prices reflect this. 4 bed terraced house £1000+. Kensal Rise, Queens Park, Kilburn, Cricklewood and Finchley nearby will be cheaper options. Not the areas you listed and not as nice but fairly close by and maybe you could find houses around the £500+/week mark.

Clapham Junction (lived in Clapham as well), is busy and residential with a good high street. Not as central as the other areas but transport links are excellent. Cheaper than being central (just) but again 4 beds won't be cheap.

Docklands Isle of Dogs area is different entirely. More for you money, ever changing skyline and new modern developments. Somewhat disrupted local communities because of the influx of "executive flats" to service the Canary Wharf offices but as time goes on it is becoming more established.

It is however quite disconnected from central London despite good transport links and there certainly isn't the buzz and feel of being "in" London like you'd get with the other areas you listed.

Hope that helps.

beingjdc

arambol wrote: »

and the new place in Camden (Chalk Farm) is £550 for a 1 bed flat with tiny garden/patio.

Dear God. Every now and again I remember why I don't live in North London!

OP, this just appeared on Rightmove, I don't want to be an SE16 evangelist, it has a lot of flaws, but this is not a bad part of the area

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-19423498.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=rent&mam_disp=true

ruggedtoast

I would steer clear of Mudchute and Islang Gardens. Those places dont have a great reputation and last time I went to IG there were signs up from the police warning about muggings.

If youre looking at that area anyway how about Greenwich town? I lived there for several years, its a very nice area, not as expensive as it might be, and is only a couple of stops more on the DLR. Bank is about 25 minutes away. I quick look on rightmove seems to show stuff in your price range too.

It is a bit of an oasis in an ocean of crud though (deptford, Lewisham, Charlton), and there arent that many practical type of amenities there so you do have to travel out for the shops etc.

arambol

Greenwich is a good suggestion.

Pretty, historical feel and plenty of parkland. The open space will mean more houses available I expect.

When I go I take the high speed river shuttle from Tower Bridge, which is quick and a very pleasant way to travel. When I get off at Greenwich it feels like I've left London which isn't a bad thing !!! It's a nice area.

Generali

If you're not too fussy on areas you might get something in Whitechapel or around Cable Street for that sort of money. They're not for the faint hearted though.